Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-29
TIE BUSTLE AS FREIGHT.
a Question that Puzzled Railroad Men
They Didn't Know What It Was.

A Question that Puzzled Railroad Men
They Didn't Know What it Was.
New York Times.
An interesting controversy has been
egitating the minds and hearts Of the
freight agents of transcontinental rail-
roads, the pool commissioners, the inter
state commerce commissioners and Cali
fornia dry goods merchants since early IN
February.
And it is all about bustles. Although
this article had long occupied place Of
dignity and prominence in the wardrobe
of the properly sppareled woman, and has
formed an important item IN the business
of merchants, maDufs cturers, CartOOnists,
end common carriers, it had no.,
until the July revision, occupied place
On the freight tariff. Then unclassifed
dry goods paid SIS per 100 freightage to
San Francisco, while hoopskirts, under
the classification Of wire goods, were as
sessed only 81 80 per 100 It was ccnse-
quently the custom of merchants to ship
bustleg as "Wire gOodsh or "hOOpskirts"
iEdiffereDtlv, SO describing them in the
bills Of ladng arc paying the lower rate
OF charges. Thousands Of cases had thus
been shipped and passed by the freight
agents without question, and the goods
had been sold and gone into circulation,
wnen 81 unluCky manufacturer, il Feo-
ruaFY last, sent 10 SIieffel, Sachs & CO.
rof San Francisco 4 case OF these goods
described N these bills Cf ledirg os ''bus-
ties" Tie guileless California freigdt
agent, knowing little and protesting to
know nothing of this mysterious dis
tender OF my ladY's dress aid supporter
Of her skirts and hopes, looked ia vain
for the rate on bustlcs in the tariff cata-
logue. He therefore charged the rale on
unclsssified dry goods OF So, and precipi-
tated the conflict by sending in his bill.
The merchants protested agsiDst the pay
-fxent, aud the matter was referred to the
general trstffc manager Of the roads in
New York,
Some Of these were married men who
protested TO know something ab0uE
bustlee, for AL their wives were supposed
to wear them. An elderly gentleman
from among the benedicts was Indignant
over what he termed the "low subter-
fuge" Ct CHASING bustles as hoopskirts
or wire goods when there wasn't g bit OF
wire nor q hoop OF any kind about them.
He ought TO know, for his wife had Worn
hustle for years. The article was made
CT ieathers and cloth; two long narrow
bags Just wide enough to-tC-Weu, to
escape being sat on, were seWed
together, the larger one below, and
fastened on with strings. Some of the
younger men seemed amused at his de-
scription, srdone inquired if old news
| papers were ever employeditor stuffiog in
stead Of feathers. a wise-looking man,
OF mature years and s large family OF
girls, said that he had it on the best of
authority that the newspaper hustle ex-
| listed only IL the columns Of alleged
funny papers. A well constructed bus
tie was filed with curled hair, and still
! better quality with wool. In former
years ne had purchased SUCH articles him
self, and he felt that be was an authority
upon the subject.
The preponderarce of testimony, al
though it did Tot agree as to details, WAS
clearly so far against "wire goods" and
"hoopskirts," and the Traffic menaeeTs
seemed about TO sustain the charge OF So